Online Application

Online Application Window for Incoming Students Is NOW CLOSED

The Online Open Enrollment Application Window for incoming students for the 2017-2018 school year is now closed. However, the Escambia County School District maintains a process for handling hardship transfer requests throughout the school year. Furthermore, if your family has recently moved into the area, or is new to the Escambia County School District, you may submit a student transfer request to our office. For more information, please peruse the School Choice website, or give our office a call at 850-469-5580.

Am I Eligible for Elementary Schools/Programs?

This section of the site is devoted to providing parents and students with information regarding the minimum eligibility requirements for the various elementary schools and programs offered in our online application process. In addition to submitting the application within the posted timeframe, all applicants are expected to meet the minimum eligibility requirements outlined below in order to be considered for our various schools/programs.

The elementary school applicant must be entering grades K through 5 for the 2017-2018 school year.

The applicant must currently be a bona fide resident of Escambia County, FL. (Note: Military families who are not yet stationed in the area may still submit an online application, using their current out-of-area address, as long as the family provides a copy of active duty military orders that place the family in the area prior to the start of the 2017-2018 school year (August 10, 2017). Upon receiving the application, our office will contact the family and request a copy of the current military orders.)

Students entering Kindergarten during the 2016-2017 school year must be age 5 by September 1, 2017.

Students entering 1st grade during the 2016-2017 school year must be age 6 by September 1, 2017.

MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED

Upon selection for any school/program, students are expected to maintain or exceed the minimum standards of behavior, attendance, and academic achievement established for eligibility. If a student is selected and accepted into a program, but his/her behavior, attendance, or academic performance declines during the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year, the receiving school maintains the right to rescind permission for that student to attend the academy/program for the 2017-2018 school year.

Am I Eligible For Middle/High School Programs?

This section of the site is devoted to providing parents and students with information regarding the minimum eligibility requirements for the various schools and programs offered in our online application process. In addition to submitting the application within the posted timeframe, all applicants are expected to meet the minimum eligibility requirements outlined below in order to be considered for our various schools/programs.

Please note that requirements for consideration for and/or continued enrollment in Brown Barge Middle School, Pensacola High School’s IB Program, and West Florida High School vary slightly. If you are interested in any of these programs, be sure to familiarize yourself with their minimum requirements and expectations below.

Be encouraged to be pro-active by reviewing the student applicant’s student records for the first 9 weeks of the 2016-2017 school year to ensure that the student meets the academic, behavioral, attendance, and (where applicable) standardized test score minimum eligibility requirements. Escambia County School District students (and parents) may use the FOCUS student (and parent) portal to view this data for the student applicant.

Students who do not meet these requirements may still apply, but must submit a substantiated appeal letter (and any relevant documentation) to Christopher McFarland, the Coordinator of the Office of School Choice by January 13, 2017 in order for the student’s ineligibility to be reviewed by an appeals committee. A strong letter of appeal addresses the deficit area(s) that caused the student to be deemed ineligible, and provides attached evidence that shows the deficit is not characteristic of the student's past and current academic, behavior, or attendance record. A granted appeal simply allows the student to be included in the pool of eligible applicants so that the student may be considered in the selection process.

GENERAL MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER ACADEMIES

The high school student applicant must be entering 9th or 10th grades for the 2017-2018 school year. The middle school student applicant must be entering 6th, or 7th, or 8th grades for the 2017-2018 school year.

ATTENDANCE: The student applicant must maintain a satisfactory attendance record that consists of no more than 5 unexcused absences for the first 9 weeks of this current school year.

DISCIPLINE: The student applicant’s disciplinary record must reflect no more than a minimal number of minor infractions, if any at all.

ACADEMIC: Student applicants must have earned at least a 70 average (C) in each core academic class (English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Reading, where applicable) for the first 9-weeks of their current 8th grade year and be seeking either a standard, merit, or scholar high school diploma.

ADDITIONAL MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR WEST FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL

Student must be entering 9th grade for the 2017-2018 school year. (No incoming 10th, 11th, or 12th graders will be selected.)

ADDITIONAL MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PENSACOLA HIGH SCHOOL’S INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PROGRAM

Student must be entering 9th grade for the 2017-2018 school year. (No online applications from incoming 10th, 11th, or 12th graders will be processed. Contact Laura Brewer, the IB Coordinator, for if you are seeking admission to IB as a non-freshman.)

Student applicants are required to submit the names and email addresses of their four current core academic teachers (English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies) in order to complete their applications. These four teachers will be contacted by our office via email and will be asked to submit electronic recommendation forms for each IB applicant.

Student applicants must be entering 6th grade for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year. (No incoming 7th or 8th grade students will be selected.)

Student applicants must have at least an overall B average, as reflected in the first 9-weeks’ grading period for the 2016-2017 school year.

Student applicants must score in at least the "Below Satisfactory" range (level 2) or higher, in BOTH ELA AND Math, as measured by the most recent administration of the Florida State Assessment or an equivalent standardized assessment.

MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED

Upon selection for any academy/program, students are expected to maintain or exceed the minimum standards of behavior, attendance, and academic achievement established for eligibility. If a student is selected and accepted into a program, but his/her behavior, attendance, or academic performance declines during the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year, the receiving school maintains the right to rescind permission for that student to attend the academy/program for the 2017-2018 school year.

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS FOR CONTINUED ENROLLMENT AT HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER ACADEMIES/PROGRAMS

Upon acceptance, students must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA in the Career and Technical Academy course requirements (where applicable) or achieve an overall 2.0 GPA and maintain acceptable attendance and behavior. Failure to maintain the appropriate GPA each semester will result in one of the following: a) the student being withdrawn from the academy and returned to his/her residential school or b) the student being withdrawn from the academy and re-scheduled into non-academy classes for the following semester (for students whose residential school is the location of the academy). The school must make a good-faith effort to employ parental assistance to rectify student's deficiencies prior to withdrawal.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Pertaining to the Online Open Enrollment Process

We hope that you find this site informative and helpful. However, we understand that every family and every child is unique. If you have questions, please read on. You may find the answer you need. However, if you still have questions, you are encouraged to call or email our office by using the links on the right of this website.

FAQs

If I am among the first people to submit my application, does that increase my chances of being selected for my first choice?

No. All applicants are vetted based on whether they meet the eligibility criteria for the schools for which they apply.

How can I find out more about the various schools listed in the online application?

Each Fall, the Office of School Choice holds its annual School Choice EXPO at Washington High School (6000 College Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32504). Representatives from every school/program are available at the event to engage in one-on-one conversations about their programs.

The application requires me to list 3 schools, but I only want to list one choice. Can I still apply?

Due to high demand and limited space at some of our programs, we encourage EVERY applicant to have a "plan B" (and even a "plan C"). Applicants are encouraged to list 3 different choices, in order of preference. The selection process is designed to attempt to place each applicant in his/her first preference. Typically, if your child meets the minimum eligibility criteria for that particular school listed as his/her first preference, your child will be selected for that school, except in cases wherein the number of eligible applicants exceeds the space available for that school. In the event that the number of eligible applicants exceeds a school's capacity, a randomized selection process will be used to determine which students--out of the pool of all eligible applicants who listed that school as their first choice--are chosen. Historically, selections for N. B. Cook Elementary, Brown Barge Middle, and West Florida High are conducted in this manner.

If your child is not selected for his/her first preference, our office will attempt to place your child into the school that you list as your second preference. In a similar fashion, as described above, if your child does not get selected for his/her first choice, our office will attempt to place your child in the school that is listed as your child's third preference. For this reason, EVERY applicant is required to list a second and third preference.

Don't fret. If you get selected for a program that you are not fully satisfied with, you retain the right to attend your residentially-zoned school. If you're not sure which school you're zoned for (based upon your primary residential address), you can always use our district's "Find Your School" feature (here) and find out!

I listed 3 schools. Will I receive a letter from each school to let me know if I was selected or turned down?

No. You will only receive one selection letter. It will only indicate a single school for which the student applicant was selected. Again, our office attempts to select students based upon their first preference, where possible. Please see FAQ #3 for more information regarding the selection process.

What if I decide that I do not wish to attend the school for which I have been selected?

All selected applicants retain the right to attend their residentially-zoned school if they do not wish to attend the school for which they have been selected.

Who can apply?

The online application process is open to any of the following:

any student who currently resides at an address in Escambia County, Florida (exception: IB applicants may reside outside of Escambia County.)

any student who is the dependent of an active duty military member who has active duty military orders that station the family locally prior to the first day of the 2017-2018 school year (August 15, 2017).

If I do not meet the eligibility requirements, can I still apply?

Yes. Parents of students who are deemed ineligible for all programs will be emailed to notify them of their child's ineligibility. Any appeals submitted by parents must specifically address the area(s) in which the child did not meet the minimum criteria and should provide evidence that the deficit is atypical for the student and is not ongoing.

Why do you need my email address for this application?

Applicants and their families could be notified by email under certain circumstances:

The student applicant does not meet one or more of the eligibility requirements.

The student applicant listed a military preference and our office needs to request a copy of the active duty military orders of the parent/guardian.

Please contact Joel Dean Hollon, the Continuous Improvement and School Choice Specialist in our office, if you need to update your application. He may be reached at 850-430-7460, or by email at jhollon@escambia.k12.fl.us. He’s a pretty reasonable guy, and would be happy to assist you. He’s also writing about himself in the third-person right now!

Will I get a confirmation email to let me know that my application was submitted properly?

All applicants will be sent a confirmation email to let them know that their applications were received by our office. Please allow 3-5 business days for the confirmation email to arrive. If you have waited for 5 business days and you still have not received a confirmation email, please check your email spam folder/settings. If you are still unsuccessful in locating the confirmation email, please email Joel Dean Hollon, the Continuous Improvement and School Choice Specialist in our office (jhollon@escambia.k12.fl.us). He will be glad to generate a confirmation email for your peace of mind.

How will we be notified of the school for which we have been selected?

Each applicant will receive ONE letter, delivered by the United States Postal Service, sent to the address listed in the application. The letter will indicate the school for which the applicant was selected. If our office is unable to place your student in any of the preferences listed in his/her application, the letter you receive will indicate that the applicant was not selected for any program.

If your address changes after you submit your application, you are encouraged to notify the Office of School Choice so that we can update your application file. This will ensure that the letter is addressed properly.

Key Dates

School Choice EXPO

11/01/2016: Annual School Choice EXPO at Washington High School, 6:00pm-7:30pm

High School

10/31/2016: Online Application OPENS for high schools

12/16/2016: Online Application CLOSES for high schools

01/20/2017: Deadline to appeal high school ineligibility

02/03/2017: High school selection letters mailed

02/17/2017: Last day for selected high school students to reserve their slots

Middle School

10/31/2016: Online Application OPENS for middle schools

12/16/2016: Online Application CLOSES for middle schools

02/19/2017: Deadline to appeal middle school ineligibility

03/04/2017: Middle school selection letters mailed

03/17/2017: Last day for selected middle school students to reserve their slots

Elementary School

01/30/2017: Online Application OPENS for elementary schools

03/10/2017: Online Application CLOSES for elementary schools

03/31/2017: Elementary school selection letters mailed

04/03/2017: Kindergarten Registration begins

04/14/2017: Last day for selected elementary school students to reserve their slots

Contact Us

For inquiries about School Choice and the online application process, please contact our friendly and knowledgeable office staff.